I've Got You
by Iggity
Summary: Ninth in my Missing Moments series. Harry, Ron and Hermione have just escaped from Gringotts on the blind dragon. But we all know how much Hermione hates flying... *Previously HermyandRon. I'm still the same person, I promise


**A/N:**Ninth in my missing moments series. Harry, Ron and Hermione have just escaped from Gringotts on the blind guard dragon …

I'd like to thank Rodica for this certain idea. I was stuck on which one to do next and she helped me out. Thanks, love!

Also, a HUGE shout out to **HermioneGrangerTwin** for putting up with all of my, 'Is this OK? Is this OK? Is this OK?'

"_There was no means of steering; the dragon could not see where it was going, and Harry knew that if it turned sharply or rolled in mid-air they would find it impossible to cling on to its broad back … Behind him, whether from delight or fear he could not tell, Ron kept swearing at the top of his voice, and Hermione seemed to be sobbing._" (DH, pg 439, UK edition)

**I've Got You**

'Bloody effing hell!' Ron bellowed over the air that was whistling in his ears.

Hermione was in front of him, tense and sobbing. Ron stopped his cursing and lent closer to her, lacing his arm around her waist. Hermione whimpered slightly and Ron rested his chin on her shoulder so his lips were inches away from her ear.

'I've got you,' he murmured in her ear.

Hermione slowly turned her head and cracked her eyes open to look at him. Ron gave her what he hoped was a comforting smile and Hermione gave him a small smile in return.

'I hate flying,' she whispered.

'I know, love,' Ron breathed in her ear. 'But I've got you. You'll be fine.'

Hermione relaxed slightly in his arm and Ron pressed his lips to her neck briefly. They soared for another few minutes. They were now flying through the clouds, and Ron could feel Hermione shivering.

'What do you reckon it's looking for?' he yelled.

'No idea,' Harry called back.

Ron sighed in irritation and Hermione ran a hand over the arm around her waist. Ron buried his face into her neck.

'I've never been this high before,' he murmured.

Hermione gulped audibly and Ron chuckled.

'That's not exactly comforting, Ronald,' she hissed at him.

Ron kissed her neck again.

'I've still got you, love,' he replied soothingly.

Hermione slipped her left hand over his on her waist and gripped his fingers. The three of them were silent for an extremely long time. Ron would brush his lips against Hermione's neck whenever she would start to quiver in fear. Ron looked around at the slowly darkening sky and realised that they had moved out of the clouds.

'Is it my imagination or are we losing height?' he called.

Harry and Hermione both looked around and soon the three of them were flying over a lake.

'I say we jump when it gets low enough!' Harry called. 'Straight into the water before it realises we're here!'

'OK,' Ron called.

'Uh huh,' said Hermione weakly.

'Want me to hold on to you?' he asked her.

Hermione nodded.

'Until we hit the water.'

'And then you want me to let you go?'

'Yes.'

'OK,' said Ron. 'Are you ready to jump?'

'No.'

'When will you be?'

'When the time to jump comes,' said Hermione. ''Cause then it'll be necessary.'

Ron turned her head to face his and he kissed her lightly.

'I've got you,' he whispered.

'NOW!' Harry yelled.

Ron saw Harry drop off the dragon and plummet into the dark water and looked at Hermione.

'Let's go,' he said.

Hermione nodded and the two dropped off the dragon. Ron felt the impact of the water and let Hermione go, but she reached out and grabbed at his retreating fingers. He felt the mud beneath him as the freezing water surrounded him and his knees buckled. Hermione let his hand go and the two of them pushed off from the bottom and swam frantically upwards. Ron wasn't too keen on opening his eyes to see just how far away from the surface they were, but he hoped they were close; he was starting to feel light-headed.

Right when he thought he was going to black out, his head broke the surface of the lake. He gasped for air and looked around to see Hermione beside him and Harry a few feet away. They headed for the shore opposite the one the dragon was perched on; they fought through reeds and mud after a few strokes and finally they flopped onto the ground, panting, exhausted, and soaking wet. Ron closed his eyes and tried to let his breathing even out; he could hear someone moving and heard Harry start muttering spells under his breath. Ron opened his eyes and sat up. Hermione was digging through her beaded bag.

'Oh, it's hopeless this way,' she mumbled, grabbing up her wand and pointing it at her bag. '_Accio dittany_.'

The bottle came flying at her and she grabbed it.

'Come here,' she said, grabbing his old sling from inside her bag and cleaning it before using it to dab the dittany onto her burns.

Ron scooted forward and Hermione unknotted one piece of the blouse and handed it to Ron to use. He dampened it with dittany and dabbed at a burn on his arm and winced at the stinging sensation.

'Bloody hell,' he muttered.

'You're burned pretty badly,' Hermione whispered.

Ron shrugged.

'I'll be fine. You, on the other hand –'

'I'll live,' said Hermione, cutting across him.

Ron nodded and Hermione gave him a small smile. Harry came walking over and dropped down beside them. Hermione handed him the dittany and another untied piece of cloth before reaching into her bag yet again and pulling out three jugs of pumpkin juice and clean robes. They all changed into the dry robes and then chugged down the pumpkin juice. Ron held his hand up and watched as the skin grew over the burns.

'Well, on the up side, we got the Horcrux,' he said after several minutes. 'On the down side –'

'– no sword,' Harry growled, his teeth clenched as he dripped some dittany onto his burnt knee.

'No sword,' said Ron. 'That double-crossing little scab …'

Ron trailed off, knowing that, despite the fact that Griphook betrayed them, Hermione would go on about how it was in his nature. He glanced at her; she had drawn her legs up under her chin and was sipping at her pumpkin juice. He wanted to hug her to him, but with Harry sitting beside them …

Harry pulled the cup from the pocket of his soaked clothing and placed it on the ground in front of them. It glinted in the sun, drawing their eyes as they continued to sip at the remainder of their pumpkin juice.

'At least we can't wear it this time, that'd look a bit weird hanging round our necks,' said Ron, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

Hermione sighed and looked across the lake at the dragon.

'What'll happen to it, do you think?' she asked. Ron looked at her and she continued to watch the dragon. 'Will it be all right?'

Ron bit his lip against his laughter.

'You sound like Hagrid,' he said. 'It's a dragon, Hermione, it can look after itself. It's us we need to worry about.'

Hermione looked at him.

'What do you mean?'

_She's supposed to be brilliant and she's asking why we have to worry?_

'Well, I don't know how to break this to you,' he said, 'but I think they _might _have noticed we broke into Gringotts.'

Hermione's face contorted and Ron was sure that she was going to hit him, but instead she burst out laughing. Harry joined in and soon Ron did too, the three of them rolling around on the ground laughing at the absurdity of their actions. Finally, Hermione sat up, still letting out spurts of laughter.

'What are we going to do, though?' she asked. 'He'll know, won't he? You-Know-Who will know we know about his Horcruxes!'

'Maybe they'll be too scared to tell him?' Ron asked, getting a little too hopeful. 'Maybe they'll cover up the break in.'

'How would they manage that, Ron?' Hermione asked. 'There's a huge, gaping hole in Gringotts, a dragon escaped, and I'm _sure_that half of Muggle London saw the beast flying through the air –'

'Maybe You-Know-Who doesn't pay attention to the _Daily Prophet_. He's running it, anyway,' said Ron.

Hermione reclined onto her arms and sighed. Ron turned his head and looked at her; she was still missing her extra bit of tummy, her skin was far to pale (she was probably whiter than Ron was at this point), her hair was a mess, but all Ron really wanted to do was curl up next to her, let her head rest on his chest, and fall asleep to her breathing. It didn't really help that the sun was falling, casting golden shadows across her already beautiful face. Hermione cracked open an eye.

'What?' she asked softly.

Ron shook his head.

'Nothing,' he replied, smiling.

Suddenly, Harry started moaning. Their heads snapped in his direction and they both clambered over to him. Hermione reached out to wake him, but Harry's eyes snapped open and he struggled to sit up, looking around.

'He knows,' he said quietly. 'He knows, and he's going to check where the others are, and the last one,' he stood, 'is at Hogwarts. I knew it. I _knew_ it.'

Ron was gaping; he was sure of it.

'What?'

Hermione knelt, her face full of worry.

'But what did you see? How do you know?'

'I saw him find out about the cup, I – I was in his head, he's – he's seriously angry, and scared too, he can't understand how we knew, and now he's going to check the others are safe, the ring first. He thinks the Hogwarts one is safest, because Snape's there, because it'll be so hard not to be seen getting in, I think he'll check that one last, but he could be there within hours –'

'Did you see where in Hogwarts it is?' Ron asked, getting to his feet.

Harry had gone searching in his wet clothes again and Ron held his hand out to Hermione to help her up.

'Thanks,' she whispered.

'No problem,' Ron whispered back.

'… warning Snape, he didn't think about exactly where it is –'

'Wait, _wait_!' Hermione exclaimed as Harry finally found the Invisibility Cloak and Ron grabbed the cup. 'We can't just _go_, we haven't got a plan, we need to –'

'We need to get going,' said Harry. 'Can you imagine what he's going to do once he realises the ring and the locket are gone? What if he moves the Hogwarts Horcrux, decides it isn't safe enough?'

Ron could tell that Hermione was trying not to explode.

'But how are we going to get in?' she asked.

''We'll go to Hogsmeade,' said Harry, 'and try to work something out once we see what the protection around the school's like. Get under the Cloak, Hermione, I want to stick together this time.'

Ron looked over at Hermione, willing her to come over with his eyes.

'But,' she said, 'we don't really fit -'

'It'll be dark, no one's going to notice our feet.'

The flapping of wings drew their attention back to the dragon, which had risen into the air. They watched it until it disappeared behind a nearby mountain. Hermione sighed and walked forward, taking her place between her brother and her boyfriend. Harry pulled the Cloak down over them and gripped Hermione's arm.

'I hate Disapparating,' Ron mumbled so only Hermione could hear.

Hermione laced her fingers through his.

'I've got you,' she whispered.

Ron grinned.

**Fin**


End file.
